"This is the tale of Scarlet Crown's Pride and of Hemlock Heart where prejudice is decried. Although these events seem like a dreadful ride, the devils of the world always take them in stride. Yet there is one girl who may turn the tide..."
Devil's Candy
is a webcomic about 14 year old Kazu, a kind and optimistic young imp living in a setting populated by devils. Working last minute on a science project with some help from his best friend Nemo, he creates Pandora, a stoic zombie girl confused by the strange world she's been brought into. Now living together with her creator, the comic describes their daily struggles of day to day life in a devil's world.
The comic is known for its detailed backgrounds and stylistic panels. It currently updates every Monday and Friday and as of April 2015, it's completed its first chapter.
This webcomic is notable for having its start as the first grand prize winner of Tokyopop's Rising Stars of Manga contest back in 2002, as well as one of its creators being voice actor and ADR script writer Clint Bickham.
Provides examples of:
- Adults Are Useless: While the main trio handle Gyro's monstrous girlfriend, none of the teachers are shown to help.
- Affably Evil: The Science Club would be a pretty nice lot if it wasn't for their utter lack of morals.
- All-Ghouls School: The comic mainly follows the adventures of a certain group of students at Hemlock Heart Academy, which is a general-admittance high school in a world with Loads and Loads of Races. Pretty much every student is a different type of monster unless they’re related by blood.
- Animesque: To the extent that the artist, Rem, has had work published in Japan.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Hitomi, who, while a Shrinking Violet, also has Super-Strength that at least rivals Pandora's. When the local Alpha Bitch's boyfriend tries to stop Hitomi and Pandora from competing in the school's fashion show, Hitomi tells Pandora to go on ahead while she deals with him. Despite easily having enough strength to suplex Lavi, she realizes that they both have flaws in how they relate to people and says they should both work on improving themselves starting the next day. And then she delivers this gem:Hitomi: But since we're both being super awful today, I'm still going to kick you in the balls for being a bully.
Lavi: Meep? - Big Damn Heroes: Nemo shows up to bail out Pandora and Kazu in chapter two.
- Black Comedy
- Body Horror: Everywhere!
- Brick Joke: Petra says there are an awful lot of men on Hemlock Heart's eggscram team, for it being the birthing sport. Scarlet Crown's team is composed entirely of women.
- Call-Back: Early in chapter 2, Nemo threatens to "kick [Kazu] in the face repeatedly with my brutish new body" if the latter puts his brain in Pandora's body. Later on in the chapter, Kazu says the exact same thing to Horatio, the difference being that Horatio is dead serious about the whole brain-stealing thing.
- Cast of Snowflakes: Every character has a unique design, even background characters.
- Creating Life: The story starts when Kazu creates a living, breathing girl for his biology project.
- Combat Tentacles: Used by Gyro's 'girlfriend.'
- Covert Pervert: During a celebratory group hug, Nigel can be seen hugging Pandora's boob. Pandora can be seen hurling him at the ground on the next page.
- The Comically Serious: The owl-headed cookery teacher with a liver obsession.
- The Diss Track: Actually a major plot point during 'The Devil's Six String' arc. Yahgie is challenged by Tremolo to a rock-off, which is far more dangerous than it sounds. It involves both sides dissing each other with song lyrics while simultaneously trying to kill each other with their music. Yahgie even prepares for it by being tied up and forced to watch the most embarrassing moment of his life on repeat and having his mother write insulting songs to toughen him up.
- Early-Bird Cameo:
- Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: Called a straight-edged vampire in comic, these are vampires that get their blood from blood banks and restaurants instead of from biting people. Clarence and his family are straight edged vampires.
- Gorn: The Perfect Woman explodes into blood and guts after Pandora cuts it in half.
- Glasses Pull: Horatio does this before Flash Stepping. Rather odd, as you'd think he'd leave his glasses on to protect his eyes...
- Groin Attack: Hitomi delivers one to Lavi that's so powerful it causes an explosion that shakes nearby buildings. Ouch.
- Happy Dance: Apparently doing a victory dance when you score a goal in Eggscram is a required part of the sport. It's even part of determining what score you get!
- Lightning Can Do Anything: Pandora comes to life once Kazu pulls down a lever to summon lightning onto the machine she's strapped to.
- Loads and Loads of Races: Devils come in countless varieties, called devil types, all of whom are interfertile and capable of mixing traits. The main cast alone includes an imp, a half-invisible grindylow, a horned cyclops (with no horns because she's half-nymph), a daemon, a vampire, a satyr, and Pandora (a unique Frankenstein's Monster). This overlaps with Monster Mash, as quite a few of these are classic folkloric or movie monsters. Devil legend says they used to be one species, but became varied after accepting biological augmentations from an entity called the Giver.
- Serious Business: Science!
- Scenery Porn: The world of Devil's Candy is a frighteningly beautiful place.
- Shout-Out:
- Recurring Show Within a Show Devilizer is a clear reference to Kamen Rider.
- Dr Ace, Kazu's father is an obvious expy of Osamu Tezuka's character Black Jack.
- Show Within a Show: Devilizer, an Affectionate Parody of Kamen Rider, though no motorbikes have been seen so far in it. "Skeleton ninja sensei" was Devilizer's suit actor, and retains all of his fighting skill.
- Unsound Effect: LEER.
- Visual Pun: At one point, Nemo turns his shape-shifting bat thingy into an actual baseball bat. It's even got little wings.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Nemo, although it's certainly not fanservice - the skin on the right-hand side of his body is invisible. That and he's kind of scrawny.
- The Worf Effect: Up to chapter 6, Pandora is effectively the strongest character in story, to the point where she single-handedly wins the Eggscram match for Hemlock Heart. Then she ends up tangling with Pia, who quite easily stops her in her tracks and throws her through a door, all while making it clear she could break Pandora in two if she felt like it.
